FEATURES

In the ongoing search for new sources of revenue, magazine publishers have always been enthusiastic about the prospect of charging readers small sums of money to read individual articles. Yet until fairly recently, monetising content in this way has been thwarted by the lack of a simple-to-implement, user-friendly solution and a fear that consumers simply won’t pay.

South Africa is a diverse country with many different cultures, languages and values, which can make it a challenging place for magazine publishers. Yet in its 34-year history, Associated Media Publishing has continually grown - delivering first class print and now digital products. It has harnessed data and technology to bring it closer to its readers, while at the same time innovating in areas like user experience and ecommerce.

Harvard Business School and Oxford University Researcher, Greg Piechota, here looks at the state of the current media industry. In a speech originally delivered at FIPP Asia, he analyses challenges, forces for transition, and ultimately how the industry can adapt to change.

In less than two years the global automotive online community platform, DriveTribe has grown into a thriving social ecosystem with one of the most engaged audiences on the planet. Monetising from engagement, and not scale, was the next logical step, explains DriveTribe CEO Jonathan Morris.

The line between media and politics disintegrated in October, as Facebook hired Nick Clegg to head up global affairs and communications. We’ve got that and the rest of the month’s top media tech trends for you here.

Created in the midst of the digital boom of the last decade, Active Interest Media (AIM) has made a name for itself as company that has innovated in media brand extension. Across its five core media channels of magazines and websites it has developed a business that leverages the audiences that it has curated, and the expertise of its editorial and commercial teams, to offer a portfolio of services to readers and advertisers.

From television profits to paywalls and everything in between, Parry Ravindranathan, managing director international, Bloomberg Media Group, here talks about the transformation of Bloomberg Media and some of the key driving forces behind the brand’s success.

“It’s our usefulness. We promise women that we’re going to help them get organised, get in control, and give them back time. We sold more issues, the August issue of Real Simple, on newsstands in 2018 than we did in 2017. And the cover line was 'More Time for You.' And I really think that is what women are looking for; they feel busy, and life for women in 2018 is complex as it was when we launched, but maybe even more so now. And there’s something useful for women throughout this magazine. It’s an uplifting, positive message that we have for women.” Leslie Yazel, editor-in-chief, Real Simple